The Adventures of Karyra
by Charlotte Nash
Summary: This is set in the areas of BG, but is a different hero group and their quests. Check out the first of this thrilling series! Right, I'm done thowing the hints to read.


The Adventures of Karyra

The Adventures of Karyra's Chaotic Crew

(and no, I haven't a clue how to play D&D but I like Baldurs Gate so much I had to make a dedication)

Before the story, here are the characters classes in my story:

**Name**

**Race**

**Class**

Karyra

Human

Fighter

Caria

Elf

Mage/Thief (Multi-class, sorta. Better thief than mage).

Denxia

Half-elf

Cleric

Benjian

Elf

Thief

Yalin

Human

Conjurer (But uses any magic for story's sake.)

I hope you enjoy. Enjoy!

"Hey there, ladies." 

A voice pierced the humdrum talking of the tavern and there was no way the "ladies" in question could have denied hearing it. They all looked up, looking distrustfully, as they felt sure of what was to come as a rather dashing young elf smiled confidently at them.

"Hello," replied one of the "ladies" doubtfully. She was an attractive human female with an emerald-coloured dress and undeniably of a noble class. Her nose twitched with distaste; she could instinctively tell she was being talked to by a low-class adventurer.

The elf, looked at her expensive gown. He gave a low whistle. "Are you waiting for a date or you going to a ball tonight?"

"No, and no," the woman replied. Her two friends either side of her shifted nervously, whilst she kept her cool. _She_ wasn't going to be outwitted by this commoner.

"Well, it could be your lucky day," the young elf said, his flashy smile never wavering. "Name's Benjian, and I have a ball to go to, and sadly, no date to speak of."

"Good. And it shall stay that way," the lady replied slightly irritably. "I know your kind, and I refused to be involved with you rabble. Good _day_." 

And she ignored him thereafter. Benjian's smile dropped to a normal glance, then he nodded and walked away.

He walked over to a table where several other people sat, and dropped into his seat wearily. He knew he was being looked at, and looked up. He was being grinned at by several of his friends.

"So, how did it go?" Karyra asked innocently, tossing her long brown hair over her shoulder in mock flirtatious fashion.

Benjian didn't look depressed at all, and grinned widely at her. "Well, I think," he said, at the same time tossing a small purse at Karyra across the table.

"Well, at least there's some use to it all, Benjian," Caria smiled. "Other than annoying nobles, you can get us some cash."

"Annoying" Benjian looked shocked. "Hey, at least I don't have to cast _Charm_ magics to get _my_ marks!"

"Enough, you two," said Denxia sternly. "You're both thieves as far as I'm concerned. Get real."

"Way hey!" Karyra said triumphantly, breaking up the argument that was going to ensue. She tipped the contents of the purse into her palm and laid them on the table. Amongst them were a pearl necklace, some gold, and a small piece of parchment.

"Hey, what's it say?" Caria said curiously as Karyra unfolded it.

Karyra picked up the paper and squinted at it. "It's hard to read," she said. "It's in noble swirly writing. Hey, Yalin, can you make it out?"

She passed the paper to the man on her left, who took it. He wore scarlet robes with yellow edgings. He was a mage, but he had talents other than magic. He serenely took the parchment, and his eyes scanned the parchment with its small writing.

"It's an invite," he said after a moment. He looked at Benjian, with a half-smile. "To a ball, tomorrow evening. And it says to bring a guest."

"So," said Denxia, "Guess your lady-friend might be more willing to take you if she knew you had her ticket."

Benjian looked solemnly at Denxia, and said in mock passion, "She's out my mind, Denxia dear."

Denxia rolled her eyes. She knew Benjian liked winding her up. She was a priest, and he often teased her about vows and her seriousness. "Not my scene… Benjian "dearest"."

Karyra was a little quiet. Usually she didn't ask Benjian to use his thievery on the innocent (snooty or not), but recent circumstances had been somewhat disturbing.

As she and her crew had been wandering the forest wilderness, another party attacked them, and they certainly weren't of the law. They were out for the kill.

They could have been any group of bandits, and when the group thought they could be safe again, they were attacked in the same style as the night before.

Then again, before they reached town. But that time they had not been so lucky. They had to re-stock their supplies and get some healing and rest once they had escaped. It had left them somewhat strapped for cash. And though none of them spoke of it out loud, they were afraid of another attack. It rested on Karyra's usually carefree mind heavily, especially as she felt responsible for everyone travelling with her.

"Yalin, where is the ball at?" she asked thoughtfully.

"The family of Gerresthas," Yalin replied with a light frown. "That's all it says."

There was hush amongst the group as Karyra frowned with thought for a moment.

"Now, here's a thought," said Karyra at last. "If we could somehow sneak all of us in to this party, not only could we discover some local colour, and have a good time, there's also no way that anyone will try to kill us anytime soon – who'd expect us at some pompous guy's party?"

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Benjian said waving his hands at Karyra frantically. "_Us_? Swan about with nobles who'd call the guards on us?"

Caria had a half-smile. "Benjian, from one thief to another, wouldn't you consider this a new challenge? Think of all the jewellery loose that evening as they pickle themselves with expensive wine…"

Benjian stopped his argument and his eyes glinted happily.

"Don't insult the rich too much. They have power as well, and besides, not all of them are snobbish and unbearable." warned Karyra. 

"Most of them are," muttered Denxia. "Though, Karyra, as much as this ball idea sounds like madness, and probably _will_end in it if I know you, it would take a weight off my mind if someone else's guards were around to protect us from more danger."

"We have had a lot of bad luck recently," Yalin agreed. "As much as we'd hate to think it, someone's after us."

"And?" Karyra persevered. "What do you reckon to my idea?"

Yalin took a breath. "Though it does seem a little unwise," he said, "and a deliberate violation of social rule and law…"

"Get on with it," Caria drawled. Yalin knew every law in the world, and obeyed and insisted on them as well. Yalin got them out of trouble, but trouble wasn't _always_ a bad thing.

"… the chances of us picking our assassin group's home is almost nil," Yalin continued. "The difficulty in pulling _this_ one off is our current attire…"

Everyone instantly looked down at his or her well-worn fighting garb.

"… fashion and language…"

"I say, old bean," Caria said regally to emphasize the point and sounding very silly. Yalin's point proven.

"… and how to escape if we're caught. And don't forget, we'd have to leave our gear somewhere. We couldn't walk in, wielding our weaponry."

"Especially not a two-handed long sword," said Benjian innocently, staring pointedly at Karyra.

"Well, I didn't _mean_ to scare off those crowds at the market," said Karyra crossly. "I didn't wave it about. I was hoping to _sell_ it."

"To boil it down," said Denxia, impatient how the subject kept changing and that it was growing dark outside, "we need the dress, the grace, and somewhere to hide our stuff. And finally," she added, "is everyone willing to have a shot? No-one's agreed or objected as such."

"I'm in," said Karyra. "It was my idea."

Everyone looked at Benjian. His mouth twitched. "I'm going to have to wear formal wear, aren't I?" he said downheartedly.

"Strings of pearls, expensive wine, and all those lovely nobles looking for dashing dance partners…" murmured Caria in a sing-sing way, just loud enough for Benjian to hear. He glared at her, then announced,

"I'm in." He didn't say it with enthusiasm but he didn't sound reluctant. Benjian looked to the future and liked to see how Tymora blessed them.

Caria folded her arms, and looked at Benjian. "As long as he's not my dance partner," she said with a nod, "I'll go, for the adventure and the fun of it all."

"I'll have to go," said Yalin simply. "If all goes wrong, I can use a little bit of magic to aid escape. I was also noble-born, you know."

They knew.

"I'm not going to abandon the group," said Denxia. "And I don't want to be on the run from trouble anymore. Let us be without bloodshed, have our amusement, and relax for once."

Benjian snorted. "_You're_ not going to have _fun_. You'll break your vows if you dance with any good looking guys…"

"…Like you," Denxia finished in annoyance.

"… and you can't even dip in the punchbowl, holy one," continued Benjian. "and it's against your vows to even _consider_ wearing any cloth that doesn't cover at least a third of your body…"

Denxia looked angry, but tried not to show it. Karyra quickly intervened.

"Enough, Benjian," she said sharply. "Have respect for her faith."

She could see where Benjian was coming from and what he thought: _her faith in what?_

Denxia had troubles, and nonetheless Benjian was not helping right now.

"Bed," said Karyra to everyone at the table. She noticed that most of the table around them had been abandoned and that the stars dotted the sky. "We're tired and irritable from all that's happened. But I got the best rooms in the Inn so we'd have a good sleep."

It had emptied her pouch too. Thank goodness Benjian stole that purse earlier. She ushered them up and each of them went to their rooms. Benjian and Yalin shared a room; Denxia and Caria the other, and Karyra got a room to herself ("it's your privilege as leader," said Caria once).

Karyra sat in her room, at a fine wood desk, and listened to the silence. Silence was a nice sound, she reflected. The only real noise was the constant scratch noise as her quill met the parchment of her diaries.

Karyra had been travelling for narry a year, but had become attached to nearly all of her crew. The word "nearly" came from several bad experiences, and some bitter ones too. But she knew nearly all of them inside out.

Caria was Karyra's truest friend – her first friend once she'd been alone in a world where her sword was the only means to survival. She'd met the bright blond elf when taking a break at The Red Sheaf Inn in Beregost. Karyra head a fondness for Beregost; it seemed to be a town where the people weren't as contemptuous towards adventurers as some. Karyra, though mainly after rest, felt a little lonely and considered asking someone for directions merely for the company when the girl walked over and introduced herself first. Karyra was mildly envious of Caria. Caria's rough-cut, yet gold-blond hair, her green eyes and even greener bodysuit made her stand out against Karyra's plain muddy-brown hair and eyes. Karyra didn't mind; a friend was worth far more than vanity.

Then there was Yalin. Karyra thought of him with a little amusement. He had been a very serious mage, and no matter where she went, wherever the town, Yalin could be found if she ever stepped foot in a library or temple; where he would be studying magic or general knowledge. He was a bit quiet, and disliked riots and all the things like that Karyra enjoyed, but his heart was in the right place. In fact, they'd only really got on when Karyra and Caria had a few more kobolds than they could handle and Yalin lent a spell or two to help out. Karyra was grateful, and before they knew it, they had a great ally on their side, joining for the experience that adventuring could bring him other than others' adventures in books.

And soon after, Caria became mildly adept at magic also. Yalin was far more skilled, having been learning magic since he could remember, but Caria became a mage as well as a thief in her own right. Of course, Caria was a _nice_ thief; not a ruthless robber.

But the most memorable team member was Benjian. They had first met when he literally bumped into them – when he was running from some angry group, shouting something about how he'd wrecked one of their bard friends' harps. Though Karyra, Caria, and Yalin were going to hand him over, once they'd realised this "group" would have cut Benjian's hands off for his accident, they helped him escape instead – and then they learnt the harp "all of a sudden" broke when Benjian attempted to play it to impress some of the female members of their rough band. But Benjian, though he attracted trouble like flies around old fruit, had a smile and a care for everyone, though he quickly knew where he stood with Caria and Karyra, but they gave up trying to stop him asking pretty ladies for dates – in fact, it was a great entertainment for them in the end. As Caria used to say a lot: "I'll bet ya 10 gold coins that one over there's gonna deck him…"

Finally, there was Denxia.

Karyra had been alone for a lot of life. She was adopted, in a way, an innocent child who was looked after by sympathetic families until they couldn't support her and theirselves both, and so she left in hope of someone else to become her family. But she survived to her teens, and trained hard to support herself in the warrior arts. She did it so she could live for herself.

Little did she know that someone else was in her situation, but had been taken in by a darker kind of force… a priest whose religion was dark and evil. Denxia was a victim, and several times she and Karyra met. There had been battles between them, but both were equal in strength and wit. Karyra fought because she thought Denxia was as evil as the priest that trained her, and Denxia fought because she thought Karyra was trying to kill her adoptive father.

But little was thought of Denxia after Karyra had her friends and ascended into adulthood, when their paths unexpectedly crossed again. This time, Denxia had been abandoned by her dark adopters. She would not talk of them, but swore she was no longer part of them – she became a dedicated priest to Lathander to prove it, too. Karyra sensed that Denxia was now changed, and offered her company, much to the surprise and suspicion to the others – but Denxia had proved herself a friend also, and things seemed to be going swimmingly. Karyra didn't push Denxia to talk about what had happened – she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

Karyra threw down her quill and closed her diary. How could she write and think at the same time? She wanted the bed to crawl into. The sky was dark and the candle was making her squint in the half-light. She put it out with a cap, and walked over to her Inn bed. It was comfortable, but not luxurious.

She pulled the covers over her, and looked at her armour, the moon glinting off the metal. It looked so simple on its own and yet when worn it reflected power and protection. It seemed strange to her how things worked out.

She tried to stop thinking and get to sleep. There was trouble to stir next morning, and trying to persuade everyone to wear dress suitable to cavort with the nobles was one of them. Thank Benjian's choice of purse; there was opportunity for fun and escape from trouble.

Eventually, she slept without thought… until day.

*Next chapter – suggestions? More history of the characters, or have I said too much? Review comments, please.


End file.
